String instrument.



E. I. SHASIIOU.

STRING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, I918.

1,29 1, 1 92. Batwted Ja 14;, $19.

\ UNITED STATESPATENT QFFICE- was Seesaw 0r reinteg ate lf l ierweme-STBTNG' msrnunnn'r.

To all whom it may concern: T

Be itknown' that I, ELIAS I. S1 LASHOU, a citizen of the UnitedTStates,residing at- Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and StateofBennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful StringInstrument, of which the following is a specificatign.

An object bf the presentinvention may be said to provide an improvedmusical instrumenti'of'the string type. of simple, d'u rable, efficientand comparatively inexpensive structure, so designed as to produce, whenplayed upon by means of a bow, notes .of a very high tone or pitch.

The invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described andfinally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will bemorefully understood from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the musical instrument.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view thereof principally sectioned, and

Fig. 4c is a detail view in cross-section of the leg or support.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings a form thereof which is at present preferred byme, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as hereinshown and described.

In the drawings, the instrument, generally stated, comprises a neck 10,a body or shell 11 and a leg or support 12. In practice, the neck isconstructed of wood, the body of a thin, fibrous material and the leg ofmetal. A description will first be given of the body 11. The body is acup-shaped shell, having its front closed by parchment to form a head 13drawn taut thereover and the marginal portions thereof secured to theshell exterior by means of an adhesive. The opposite or rear end of theshell is open as at 14:. This body 11 is of fibrous texture and verythin. In practice, the shell of the pwit tibn h tters Patent- 4 PatentedJan. it. 1e19,

Application filed June c, 1918. Serial no. 238,584.

cocoanut is employed as giving excellent results. The outer, roughportion of the shell is removed and inner. remaining portion scrapedvery thin and polished. The surface obtained has a natural, very hardand highly polished finish. .It will be observed that the clgsed end isof restricted diameter and-that the open end is of considerably largerdiameter. The body or shell '11 is fixed with respect tothe 'n'eck10'and leg 12 in thefollowing manner: 7 The shell is apertured as at 15for the passage therethrough of the leg 12 which is in the configurationof an elongated nail, the pointed end 16 of which penetrates the neckbottom, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The bottom of the leg is providedwith a portion 17 which is not only useful when driving the leg toplace, but also forms a tip upon which the leg may readily be rested.The leg is slotted to receive a horizontally disposed metallic toothedmember 18, which may be brazed or otherwise secured in the slot of theleg. In practice, the body 11 is positioned between the neck bottom andsaid number 18 when the leg is driven to place so as to be so cured toplace. The teeth of the device 18 serve to provide convenient means withwhich to secure to place the wire strings 19 of the instrument, the freeends of the strings passing around the stems of keys 20 at the neck top.The strings are held against the neck 10 near the top thereof as at 21and pass over a bridge 22 upon the parchment head 13. The meansdisclosed at 21 comprises a regulator which may be pressed downwardalong the neck to tighten the strings when desirable to obtain clear,sharp notes. Because of the fact that the leg 12. member 18 and strings19 are metallic and that the shell is of thin fibrous material, highnotes may be produced.

Commercially considered, the instrument has the advantage of lightnessof structure, cheapness of manufacture, simplicity of design and thedurable manner in which it is constructed.

Musically considered, the instrument is particularly fitted forvaudeville performances because of its unique structure and theexceedingly high notes capable of being produced thereon when a bow isused.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and usefulconstruction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated asdesirable in the statement of 3 give satisfactory and reliable results,it is the invention and the above description and while I have in thepresent instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereofwhich has been found in practice to to be understood that the same issusceptible of modification invarious particulars without departing fromthe spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of itsadvantages. What'I claim is: A musical instrument of the characterstated comprising a wooden neck provided at its outer end with keys, ametallic leg having a pointed portion which penetrates the inner end ofsaid neck, said leg having a notched portion substantially mid-way ofits Copies of this patent may be obtained for length, a toothed metallicmember engaging said notched portion in fixed relation and extendedlaterally from said leg, a cupshaped, fibrous shell closed at one end byahead of parchment which shell is so positioned that the said legpenetrates the shell walls, said shell being in abutting relation withthe inner end of said neck and with the laterally extended portion ofsaid toothed member, metallic strings fixed to the teeth of said,metallic member and connected to the keys of said neck, regulatingmeans for signed my name.

- ELIAS I. SHASHOU.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

